The Schism: A Star Wars AU Story
by OrionStaid
Summary: Just before the Clone Wars, a young Jedi knight and his former master land on the planet of Kiirakaar in the Outer Rim. There, the knight discovers a new and awakening threat to the Jedi, the Republic, and the entire galaxy. He cannot face this threat alone, but will others come to his aid? Find out in The Schism: A Star Wars Story.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The ship's cargo bay was cold. Its metallic walls held no heat, no semblance of warmth or the tranquility Liao-Kur had gotten used to. His former master, Ei Fozan, walked beside him, scanning the innards of the smuggling vessel with perceptive eyes. "Be cautious, Liao," the Kel Dor said. Liao smirked.

"Always, Master," he said, walking ahead. All he saw were shipping containers, stolen or bought from various places across the galaxy, and rust peeling off the ceiling. "What exactly are we looking for? Master Windu just said that we'll know it when we see it."

"Then we will know it when we see it," Master Ei said. "Just check your-" Something skittered across the ground in the shadows of the bay lights, metal on metal. "-corners." Master Ei's lightsaber, hilt long and partially wooden, flew from his belt to his hand. It ignited into a beautiful green blade. Liao followed suit, his a cold blue. "Do you see it?"

"No."

It skittered again, rapid metal clinkings across the floor of the bay. Liao pushed past Master Ei, following the noise. "Wait, Liao!"

Liao did not wait. He skid around the corner of a wall of cargo containers, lightsaber in front of him. There, in a faint light, he saw a droid on four legs, whirring softly. On it's flat topped head, a metal cube. It glowed softly. "I think I found…" Liao trailed off as a turret dropped from the ceiling and turned toward him with a loud, rapid ticking. Liao brought his lightsaber up just in time, intercepting each blaster bolt as they sizzled towards him. With dexterity, he jumped backwards in a series of flips, letting the red plasma impact the floor just beyond him. He landed on top of a container and deflected a final bolt, sending it into the turret. The device flamed and crackled with electricity. The bolts stopped coming.

Master Ei came running, breathing hard into his rebreather. His eyes were scornful behind his protective goggles. "Apprentice, I told you to be careful."

"I'm not your apprentice anymore, Master," Liao said, dropping from the container. He walked to where he'd last seen the little droid walking up the wall.

Master Ei sighed. "I forget too easily. You are your own knight now, but do be cautious."

Liao chuckled and shook his head. Looking up from where he stood, he saw a vent hanging open. "I saw a small drod. It must've gone through there." Liao put his lightsaber on his belt and took off his cloak, handing it to Master Ei. "Watch my back." With a small push of the Force, Liao jumped and grabbed hold of the vent, pulling himself into the metallic darkness.

The shaft was narrow, a tight fit for Liao, but his lithe Zabrak frame allowed him to fit. He crawled with his elbows and knees, following the distant tink-tink-clink-clink of the droids legs. It lead him around a corner and down a small incline before he saw it. The circle-headed droid popped open another vent and dropped out of it. Liao followed, jumping out of the vent and landing in a crouch.

Several Twi'lek smugglers looked up from their place around a small table. The droid skittered away and the Twi'leks blasters came to hand. Liao's lightsaber flew into his hand with the will of the Force and it ignited, blocking bolts. He deflected one back, knocking a blaster from a Twi'lek's hand. He jumped forward with great speed, rolling across the floor, then came up closer to the smugglers, His lightsaber cut through the barrel of one's blaster then, as he blocked a bolt, he used the Force to rip the other one away.

The door to his right hissed open and Master Ei entered. The Kel Dor sighed again. "I will watch them, Liao. Find that droid."

Liao nodded and ran from the room through another hissing door. He was in another cargo bay. The droid was scaling large containers stacked four hight. Liao jumped, touching against one stack of containers and then pushing to the next, landing above the droid. It came right to his feet and he reached down to retrieve it. "Ah!" The droid had released a taser and shocked Liao's hand. He recoiled, grabbing his hand. The droid dropped to the ground and ran off. "Not so fast."

Liao jumped after it, landing softly with the Force. He rushed around the corner and ran after the droid as quick as he could. The little thing could really run. It made another corner, he followed. It ran up and over a stack of containers, he followed. It went through a door, he followed.

They were at the end of the ship, in the cockpit. The droid stood, whirring, on the control board. It was doing something. Liao scowled, creeping closer. From the droid, a long hacking device extended, interfacing with the controls. A hologram appeared, showing the galaxy, then the system. It zoomed in on a planet and glowed red briefly. "You kriffing droid, you changed the coordinates!" Liao swiped the cube from the droid's head, then hit the power switch on the little bugger. "Finally."

Master Ei entered the room. "The smugglers are bound," he said. "What did you find?"

"The droid, who has changed the coordinates," Liao told him. Liao started typing on the control board. It flashed red with every click. "And he's locked it!"

"Where is it taking us?"

"I've no idea, Master."

Looking out of the cockpit, space flashed by. A planet, half snow white and half dust brown, lay ahead of them. "Kiirakaar," Master Ei said. "This is not good."

"What is Kiirakaar?"

"A nightmare."

The ship took them in, past a small patch of debris. "What's that," Liao said, pointing at a floating piece of durasteel. The shadow of a starfighter passed over it.

"It appears we are being followed." Without warning, the ship shook violently. An error appeared on the control board hologram, showing a red outline around one of the ship's engines. "And now we are going down."


	2. Chapter 1: Kiirakaar

Kiirakaar

The crash was intense. The ship was sucked in by the planet's gravity, the engines too weak to control the descent. Liao and Master Ei both clung to handles above the pilot and copilot seats as the ship shook and plummeted through the atmosphere. Liao was faintly aware that it was snowing, right before they hit the ground.

The cold wrapped around him like a blanket. Liao looked around the cockpit. It was wrecked, the droid runaway destroyed. There was no sign of Master EI. Liao crawled, coughing hard, out of the crashed cargo ship. Smoke covered the area, rising up while the snow fell down. Red leafed, snow covered trees pressed in all around him, shadowing the crash.

Once he was away from the wreckage, he called out. "Master! Master Ei! Are you out here?" Weakly, Liao stood. His legs shook from the strain. He tried to toggle his communicator but it was busted. Overhead, the sky became overcast and twin suns were blocked out by storm clouds. Icy snow whipped at his face as he walked forward, legs aching. A set of tracks went into the forests, through the red trees. He followed it.

But soon, Liao was cold. Too cold. His ribs felt frozen, like he had icicles for bones. He wandered deeper and deeper into the forest of Kiirakaar, searching the Force for hope. But here, among the wastes of the planet, the Force seemed distant, untouchable. Liao didn't like feeling so… disconnected. It made the cold harder to ignore.

He also began to worry for Master Ei. The Kel Dor man could take care of himself, Liao knew. He had taught Liao everything he knew, made him the Jedi he was. But to think of him alone, in the storm without even the Force to guide him? Liao quickened his steps.

But the further he went, the more obscured the trail became by snow and foliage. Eventually, there was no sign of Master Ei, not even on the whispering wind of Kiirikaar. As Liao grew colder, he began to worry for himself as much as Master Ei. He needed to find shelter, something more substantial then the red leafed trees.

There was a mountain nearby, a towering thing of black rock that screamed forebodence to Liao. But it would likely have caves, some crevice for him to hunker in. He headed that way, hunching his shoulders against the assaulting blizzard. Nearer and nearer the mountain grew, until he had to look straight up to see the sky. He walked along its base, searching for any cave he could find. It took him upwards, a walk of deep, pervading cold. Finally, he found a cave. His entire body either ached or was numb to all feeling.

Inside, he found something akin to warmth. He sat down, slumping against the cave wall and breathing out a foggy breath. He pulled out the cube he'd gotten from the droid, holding it in his hand. It was translucent, showing a faint, pulsing glow from within. He turned it over in his hands, searching for an activator. Finally, he thought of the Force.

Liao sat up, crossing his legs. He closed his eyes against the dark dryness of the cave and began to clear his mind, focussing singularly on the cube. The Force, so far away, came to him slowly, finally. He embraced its peace and channelled its divine focus. The cube clicked and slid, turning into a shape like a stylized star. It projected a hologram of man, cloaked and hooded, speaking to a crowd of shadowed individuals.

 _"Brothers, sisters. Are you not tired of the oppression? Of the heavy weight of the Codes on your backs at all time? No love, no passion, no attachment. Are we to live our lives without any fulfillment?"_ The crowd cheered the man on. _"Let it be now, now that we turn the tide. A change is coming to this Order, a change like never before. We are the change."_ The figure turned, pointing at Liao. _"Will you be part of the change?"_

The hologram ended. Liao didn't know what to make of it. But he'd seen lightsabers on the belts of the figures in the hologram. Jedi? He didn't like the thought. Not with the way they were speaking of the Code. But then what, Sith? No, impossible.

A shadow passed by the cave entrance. Liao looked up to see the storm had lessened, snow falling gently now. Liao stood and walked slowly outside, looking to where the shadow had gone. He saw a fresh set of boot prints, leading out of the cave and back into the forest, away from the smoking crash site.

Again, he followed. Into the trees, amongst the white blanketed underbrush, deeper, and deeper. Then the forest turned into knotted, twisted trees. A clearing opened up before Liao, a gaping hole in the trees. At its center, an ancient, massive, twisted thing of a tree. It leaves were heavy and black, almost like rock.

"Welcome." A figure stepped out from behind a tree, a man. He removed his hood, revealing a purple skinned Twi'lek with golden eyes. "I've wanted to talk to you for some time."

"Who are you?" Liao opened his hand, pulling his lightsaber to it, thumb on the activator. "What are you doing in a place like this?"

"Meeting with you." The stranger approached, drawing his own lightsaber. It was black and the blade it emitted was red. He held it in both hands, in a defensive stance. Soresu Form. "I wanted to… get to know you, in a way. I find that dueling someone is a good way to take stock of them, to-"

Liao attacked. He knew all he needed to. His opponent was a Sith, using Soresu Form. He came in from the right Ataru Form. His attacks were like rapid water; fluid and swift. The Twi'lek blocked them all, deflecting them away with ease. Liao tried again and again; overhead, underhand, from the left, a kick, an elbow, a thrust. Nothing worked. The Twi'lek doged, paried, reposted.

Liao broke away, throwing his lightsaber. The Twi'lek ducked it, but as it flew over his opponent's head, Liao thrusted his hands out with the force. A wave rippled forth, disrupting the thick snow on the ground throwing it up like a mist, and slamming into the Twi'lek. The man was lifted off his feet and thrown into the ancient tree. But when the snow settled, he was gone.

Liao stood, staring at the tree. He approached slowly, cautiously. But there was nothing left but the imprint of a body. Then the snow crunched behind him.

He turned, lashing out. His lightsaber met with another, cracking against it. They exchanged more blows, the Twi'lek pushing him backwards towards the tree. With a groan, Liao kicked out, forcing the Twi'lek to retreat. With the Force, Liao jumped high, throwing snow into the air. He saw the Twi'lek cover his eyes, and came down hard on top of him, slashing fiercely.

The Force rose like a tidal wave, knocking Liao upwards. Then it fell like a hammer, smashing him into the ground. His lightsaber landed feet away. The Twi'lek approached. "I am disappointed. You show promise, especially with the Force, but you are not ready." He raised his crimson saber. "This is over."


	3. Chapter 2: The Merc Squad

The Merc Squad

 _The Merc_ was a rusted black and gray VCX-100 Corellian freighter, with wide wings and a pentagonal body. It had enough room for four to stand, sit, and sleep along with its lower level cargo hold. Inside, as _The Merc_ slid through the bottomless void, Sen-Kur was at the controls next to one of his partners, Eam Harra. Both bounty hunters slash smugglers were in full armor, high grade durasteel and highly blast resistant armor. Today was the day they'd get their contract.

"Watch out for those asteroids, Eam," Sen warned, manning the main guns. They swiveled on his command, blasting away a bit of rock just before _The Merc's_ wing clipped it. "I said watch out."

"But you were watching. That's why you're on the guns, Kur." Sen chuckled, relaxing on his control as the ship exited the asteroid patch.

"Take us down, Eam." Sen stood, patting the other hunter on the shoulder. "I'm going to get something to drink. Want anything?"

"My wife."

"Are you talking about me again, Eam," said Kam Harra appearing out of the kitchen. Her battle armor managed to look intimidating and elegant on her curved figure. Sen gave her a smile.

"He's only always talking about you, Kam," Sen said, passing by her. In the kitchen, a tall Rodian leaned against the wall, checking his massive blaster rifle. "Ready, Vankoli?"

"Always ready," he responded, black eyes impassive as always. "Are you?" With his foreboding words, Vankoli exited, hanging left to the rear of the ship.

"Weird little Rodian," Sen murmured, taking a deep drink of a steaming cup. He slammed it down then put on his helmet. His Zabrak horns slid through the available holes, crowning his helm with white spikes. The face of his armor, painted white for this mission, was black. His armor was also fitted with a jump pack, wrist blaster, and a vibroblade. It was all custom, and Sen loved it like a firstborn son.

"Sen," called Kam's voice from the cockpit, "we're entering the atmosphere."

"Afirm," he said through his helmet. He exited the room, checking his trishot and blaster rifle one last time. He loaded his wrist blaster with a fresh cell and locked it closed. "I'm ready to roll."

"Alright," Eam said. "Touching down on Kiirakaar."

They descended through the clouds, into the freezing, chill inducing environment. Sen scanned the horizon with perceptive eyes. "Look, there," he pointed, towards a tower of smoke in the sky. "Hat could be our guy."

"I'll take us there." _The Merc_ moved low and fast, gliding over the surface of the planet. I touched down just one clearing over from the flattened grove the crashed ship had left behind.

"Let's go," Sen said. "Stay alert."

Vankoli was at the back of the ship, waiting. He lowered the ramp for them and went out into the cold first. Sen followed him, with Eam and Kam taking up the rear. They pushed through the trees to the ship, which was still burning, what of it was sheltered from the snow. They searched it, Kam and Eam the outskirts, Sen the innards, while Vankoli kept watch.

Sen dug through the entirety of the ship, but he found only tattered remains of what had been, the bodies of dead smugglers, and whatever they'd been shipping. This wasn't what they were looking for. He was much more dangerous.

"This isn't our mark's ship," Sen said to himself, "but it is fresh. Someone else has been here." He stood, exiting the ship. "What've we got out here," he asked the rest of the team.

"Not much," Kam said, Eam standing close behind her, "but someone else came here, then left, recently. More recently than this thing crashed. They went towards the mountain."

"Then we go to the mountain."

It was a monolith of black stone, rising up through the clouds. "That's some mountain," Eam said, staring up at it. Sen couldn't see the young man, but he could imagine his awed face.

"Don't gawk too long, Eam. Keep it moving."

"Whatever you say, Kur." Eam gave him a mock salute.

They moved as a squad, Vankoli taking up the rear. The tracks, mingled with drops of blood, lead them to the foot of the mountain. They continued up towards the lower cloud layer. It began getting colder, even inside their insulated battle suits. Sen could feel his teeth begin to chatter, his bones ache. "Kriffing hell," he cussed. His legs began to stiffen. Just as he was thinking of turning back, he saw it. A distant figure, standing at a cave mouth.

"Hey," Sen called out, pushing forward. "You! Come here!" The figure approached, clutching its side. Sen looked under its hood and saw a Kel Dor male. Not their mark.

"I'm Master Ei Fozan," the Kel Dor said, "of the Jedi Order."

"Great," Eam groaned.

"Can you help me," Fozan continued. "Someone dragged me from my ship, left me unconscious in the forest. I'm worried for my appren- fellow Jedi Knight."

"Sen," Kam said, "the person who dragged him, that might be who we're looking for."

"Maybe." Sen did not like Jedi. His dislike bordered on disdain. But if it helped him complete the contract… "Fine, Jedi. We'll help you. But you'll owe us."

"Thank you, bounty hunter. I think he went this way, but I'm no tracker."

"Hmm. Eam, you look," Sen ordered. Eam moved up, approaching the wood ahead.

"No footprints, but there is disturbed brush and broken branches. Someone's been through here."

"Lead us," Sen told him. He turned to Fozan. "You follow him, Jedi."

"Of course." The Jedi took a few steps, then faltered. "Ah! I'm… wounded. I'm sorry."

Kam sighed. "I'll stay and help him. You three go find this missing Jedi."

"Please," Fozan said, "help him. I fear he is in true danger."

"We'll do what we can," Sen said, then followed Eam.

"Vankoli," Sen called as they moved, "keep your eyes on these trees. I don't like this."

"Neither do I," Vankoli agreed. "Something feels off."

"You don't like anything, Vankoli," Eam chuckled.

"Shut it," Sen snapped. "Do you hear that?" It sounded like plasma crackling.

"Vibroblade," Eam guessed.

"No, a lightsaber." Sen scowled. "Let's move." They rushed forward, Sen giving orders. "Eam, jump in with me. Vankoli, cover us." Sen activated his jump pack, clearing the trees with one leap. Eam followed. They descended, and Sen spotted two figures, one on the ground, the other holding a red lightsaber. It was a purple Twi'lek. "Vankoli, fire," he said over comms. Red blaster bolts tore out of the woodline. The Twi'lek spun around, lightsaber whipping about, deflecting every shot. Sen and Eam began firing too, all the way until they touched the ground. "Manticore formation."

Eam went left, Sen right, Vankoli pressing in from the center. They all fired on the Twi'lek, but none could hit him. Finally, one of the deflected bolts clipped Eam. Sen saw his right arm go suddenly slack. The young hunter pulled his pistol, firing rapid, but the Twi'lek flung him away with the Force. He disappeared through the trees. "I've got him," Vankoli said, retreating with heavy fire. That left just Sen and the Twi'lek.

Sen rushed him. The Twi'lek sent out a rushing wall of Force. Sen jump packed over it, then rolled and closed the distance, activating his wrist blade. It sprung out, the edge glowing purple as it hummed. He met the lightsaber once, then twice. He knocked it aside and lifted his wrist blaster to the Twi'lek's face, unleashing two bolts. But the Twi'lek was gone.

He looked up. The Twi'lek came down from the sky, lightsaber poised to cut Sen in two.

"Ahhh!" A voice cut through the clearing, and the Force hit the Twi'lek like a cargo hauler. He tumble through the air and fell. Then a figure carrying a blue lightsaber flew after him, assaulting the Twi'lek's defenses. He nearly caught him with a few swipes, but finally the Twi'lek caught his blade and knocked him aside with a backhand. Sen followed the Jedi's arc through the air and when he looked back, the Twi'lek was gone.

The young Jedi stood and faced Sen. His eyes widened.

"Apprentice," called Fozan's voice. He rushed down the mountain trail. "Are you okay? What, what's wrong?"

"What're you doing here, Sen," Liao demanded.

"Saving your ass, apparently," Sen spat, "brother."

"That's your brother," Eam asked. They were all back on _The Merc,_ including the Jedi. Eam's wounded shoulder was already healing up nicely, thanks to the medical droid and some bacta spray. Kam came out of the kitchen, followed by a narrow eyed Vankoli. She handed Sen a cup of tea.

"Yeah. That's my little brother."

"I knew you had a brother," Kam siad. "The way you talked about him, I figured he was dead."

"He was," Vankoli said, "to Sen."

"You knew, Vankoli," Kam asked, her red Chiss eyes wide with surprise.

"I knew." The Rodian sighed and turned away. "I'll go see to our guests."

"I never wanted to see him again," Sen spat. "Never again in my life."

"Why," Eam asked. "He's your family."

"My family is dead!" Sen roared. "Dead! And where was Liao when they were killed? He was nowhere. I gave my arm and leg to defend them, literally, and he wasn't even there!"

"Brother," Liao said, entering the room behind Vankoli. "Please, calm down. Your rage is-"

"My rage is warranted." Sen stalked over to Liao and picked him up by his robes. "I'm no Jedi. I don't follow your hollow Codes. For instance, I attended my own family's funeral. Something you didn't do."

"The Codes forbid me-"

"Kriff the Codes! And kriff you." Sen dropped him, storming off, taking off his battle armor piece by piece as he went.

Liao was left on the floor, breathing hard. "He's right," he sighed. "I should've been there. I was blinded by my adherence to the Codes. I was so in love with being a Jedi apprentice I forgot to- to be a good brother, a good son."

Kam approached him, patting him on the shoulder. "I only just met you, but I can tell you have a good heart. Your brother will come around." She left, with Eam and Vankoli at her back.

"Indeed, young one," Master Ei said. "Be at peace, and wait patiently for your brother's heart to clear." He took a seat at the control, facing Liao. "Now, please tell me of your encounter with this 'Sith.'"

Liao recounted it moment for moment, feeling a deep sense of defeat. Master Ei must've sensed his pain. "It's okay, young one," Master Ei said softly. "You were never expected to face a Sith. They've been extinct for hundreds of years."

"Extinct?" Liao chuckled, a mirthless thing. "Master, as long as there's the Force, there will be Sith."

"I fear you are right," Master Ei said, staring out the window. "We must inform the council of what we've discovered. That cube, do you still have it?"

"Yes, I-" but the cube was missing, gone from his robes. "Blast it! The Sith must've taken it. My failure was even worse than I realized."

"You did all you could do," Master Ei said comfortingly.

"It wasn't enough." Liao stood and retreated to the kitchen.

Master Ei was left alone, staring out into space. His heart felt as hopeless as the abyss looked. The first one since… since Maul, over a decade ago. He thought they'd been eradicated then, the last of them wiped out, but no, here they were again. Another Sith, another stain on the Jedi Order, on the Force itself. A perversion.

"We will catch you," Ei swore, staring at distant Kiirakaar. "Wherever you go, we will pursue your evil to the ends of the galaxy. So run, run little monster. I will never stop following you. Not until I am dead."


End file.
